


through chaos as it swirls (it's us against the world)

by inmyfashion



Category: Pitch (TV 2016)
Genre: Established couple, F/M, Secret Relationship, alusions to sexy times, lots and lots of talking, soft domestic pairing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-14
Updated: 2018-02-14
Packaged: 2019-03-18 01:28:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,219
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13671414
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inmyfashion/pseuds/inmyfashion
Summary: Ginny wants to go public with their relationship. Mike has questions.





	through chaos as it swirls (it's us against the world)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [youaremyworldlois](https://archiveofourown.org/users/youaremyworldlois/gifts).



Mike looks over the top of his cheaters, one brow lifted as he stares at his girlfriend.

“What?” she asks as she falls heavily onto the couch beside him.

“We’ve talked about this before, Gin. We agreed—”

“I know,” she interrupts. “But I'm tired of hiding and lying. Aren't you?”

Mike sighs, closes his book, takes off his glasses, and tosses them both on the coffee table. He’s on his fourth book of the year, and as a man who didn't do much recreational reading before retirement, he thinks he's doing a pretty great job for it to be the start of February.

“Babe,” he begins, dropping a big hand on her knee. “You know I get why we haven't told anyone. I mean, it's kind of great with it just being us who know. I like having you all to myself.”

He leans over and kisses her pouting lips lightly. “I’m not in a rush to put the spotlight on this.”

Ginny's frown grows deeper. “Why not, Mike? It's been nearly two years.”

“Yeah, two years of not being stalked by the press, or debated about by the talking heads if you have a bad start. Two years of not having to defend what I feel or when this started or why it doesn't matter that I'm so much older than you.”

She sighs loudly and worries her bottom lip between her thumb and forefinger. “I'm tired of hiding this. I think we should just rip the band-aid off and deal with it.”

“We made a plan. A very detailed plan.”

“And sometimes plans change.”

“We said a minimum of three years, Ginny. Three years after I retired, we’d let the vultures have their time. We’re not there yet.”

“Three years or two—what does it matter, Mike? I love you and I don't want to hide it anymore.”

“Tell me why.”

Ginny grits her teeth and leans away from him on the couch. She crosses her arms and stares off towards the pool. It's dark, but the water shimmers with an inky black glow beneath the moon.

“Because I love you.”

Mike tilts his head. The corner of his mouth kicks up as he shakes his head. “You said that and I already know that—that’s not why you want to go public.”

“Isn't that enough?”

“It would be if I didn't feel like you were keeping something from me.”

Ginny throws up her hands. “Fine,” she says quickly and stands from the couch. “We won't go public. It's whatever. Doesn't matter.”

“Gin—”

“It's fine Mike,” she says over her shoulder as she stomps out of the living room.

Mike hears the door of their bedroom firmly shut a few moments later.

Mike gets up from the couch and straightens up. He takes their plates and cups to the kitchen and stacks them in the dishwasher. He wipes down the counter and puts the scant remaining jerk chicken in the fridge.

He takes one last look around downstairs before he turns off the lights and makes his way to their room.

Living with Ginny for the past year has given Mike a great deal of perspective on how to approach her when she's upset. She doesn't like to be rushed, a quality Mike deeply relates to, but she also can't be left to stew for too long. Neither of them is the most forthcoming of people, so they've really had to work hard learning how to communicate.

Mike taps on the door before he enters. Ginny murmurs from the other side, so he figures it's safe to go in.

She sits cross-legged at the end of their bed, his pillow tucked into her lap. Her elbows dent the fluffy mass and her hands are folded beneath her chin.

Her frown doesn't decrease as he sits down beside her with an unbecoming groan. His knees hurt a little more than usual today.

“Want to tell me what's going on?” Mike asks without preamble. “Because you were adamant about our time frame, Gin. Positive about this being the best way to avoid any kind of backlash because at three years, you'd have been in the league long enough to not bring up any kind of favoritism, and your spot wouldn't be contingent on me in any way. Not that it ever was. And we agreed to wait. So, what's changed?

“Gin,” he says as he runs his thumb across her perfect cheekbone. “Tell me why you're so eager to let people know all of a sudden.”

“It's not sudden,” she whispers. She nuzzles her face into the palm of his rough hand before she speaks again. “Don't you want people to know?”

Mike shrugs. “I’m so happy every day you're here, who cares who else knows?”

She lets out a frustrated sound and moves her face away from his hand. “Please have a real opinion about this.”

“That is my opinion,” he replies, dropping his hand to rest between them on the bed. “You have your rules and I'm happy to abide by them because all I want is you. But if you want to change something, I want to know why. You want to go public tomorrow? Fine. You want me to take out a billboard on I-10, I'll do that. But you've got to tell me why.”

Ginny turns her gaze to his and stares for a long moment. “I... You know I had that interview with Rachel, right?”

Mike nods and grunts an affirmative sound.

“Well, she—” Ginny pauses and looks down at her hands. The rough calluses that dot her palms and fingers catch on the fabric of his pillow as she grips it tightly.

“She was just so amazed that you hadn't made your move because she was so sure that part of the reason the two of you are not together is because you had feelings for me.

“And when I didn't respond to that, she said maybe it wasn't out of the realm of possibility that you two could get back together. She said she was amazed you've been single for so long.”

Ginny exhales and her body finally relaxes beside him.

“Okay,” Mike begins slowly. “I have no plans to ever get back with Rachel. Twice is more than enough to my heart ripped out. Plus, I happen to be ass-over-tea-kettle in love with you.”

“I know.”

“Do you?”

“Yes.” She gives an exasperated sigh. “I know that. Very well.”

“So,” Mike says. “You want to go public because Rachel got under your skin? I'm not judging.” His hands go up in supplication when she throws him a look. “You don't have to explain to me how capable she is of doing so. I get it. But she doesn't have anything to do with us and I'm not going anywhere.”

“I just really hate how...I just hate that she feels she can snap her fingers and get you back.”

Mike laughs, but it isn't mirthful. “So you want to show that I belong to you.”

Ginny grips the pillow harder and shakes her head. “You don't belong to me.”

“Yeah, I do. I'm yours and you're mine. We are each others. And I'm more than happy about that, but this isn't the first time someone has mentioned me being single and it's not bothered you then. So it must be the Rachel element... which confuses me.”

Ginny's jaw drops. “Seriously? You were married to her and spent a year with her while you were supposed to be getting a divorce. Yes, she sets me on edge, and yes I worry that I might not be what you want whenever she comes around.”

“Is it just jealousy or is it something else?” Mike asks quietly. “Either is pretty terrible, but I at least want to know what I'm working with.”

“I'm not jealous,” she replies petulantly. “I just don't like the way she talks about you like you're just waiting around for her, pining, ready to do whatever she says and then it hit me—I’m just as guilty. You agreed to wait and live out this lie and that's not fair, Mike.”

“Have I ever said I was unhappy with this?”

“No, but don't you feel like you're living half of a life?”

“I never feel like I'm missing anything when I'm with you. Not even a little bit.”

Ginny tosses the pillow aside and scoots across the bed until she's straddling Mike's lap. He huffs out a laugh into the crook of her neck as he wraps his arms around her waist.

She's clinging to his neck and whispering in his ear how much she loves him.

“I still think we should tell people,” she says when she pulls back to look into his eyes. She cups his face in her hands and Mike can't stop himself from turning his face and placing a kiss in the middle of her pitching hand.

He turns his face back to hers and sighs. “If that's what you want, then—”

“No,” she says firmly. “It’s about what we want. Both of us. I just don't want you to feel like I don't want everyone to know. We’re in this together, so we decide not anyone else. Even if I kind of want to rub Rachel's face in it.”

Mike laughs, then brushes his lips across hers. “I love our life,” he breathes against her mouth. “Just like this because I get to enjoy every part of you and none of the other shit that doesn't matter. But the idea of everyone knowing you're my girl so I don't have to keep seeing those stupid ‘who should Ginny Baker date next’ flowcharts is really appealing.”

She lifts an eyebrow, but he only gives her a smug little shrug in response.

“Let’s tell people,” she says right before she plants a smacking kiss on his lips. “Come what may, we’ll have one another. And that's all I want.”

“And to get back at Rachel.”

She shrugs. “If that happens to be a perk, then so be it.”

“Cute,” Mike responds as he tips back on the bed. Ginny laughs all the way down.

She drapes her body over his brushes kisses across his cheek, the bridge of his nose, then the opposite cheek until she finally settles on his lips.

Mike takes in the breathy noises that flutter against his lips as she kisses him. He loves her like this, eager and warm, seeking and giving reassurance in equal measure.

“I love you,” she whispers before she goes back to kissing him with renewed fervor.

He wraps his arms around her waist and holds her tighter. He revels in the tiny shift of her hips back and forth.

Her fingers curl into the comforter beside his head before she brings them to his hair and laces her fingers through it with a gentle tug.

If you asked Mike three years ago about the simple pleasures of making out, he wouldn't have been able to elucidate one of them. But with Ginny, she somehow changed every constant he thought he knew.

He delights in every opportunity to be near her, to hold her, to feel her lips against his own.

“What do you think, old man?” she asks with a nip at his bottom lip. “Want to keep our peace and quiet, or do you want to let the world know you're a kept man?”

Mike laughs and the movement causes Ginny to teeter on top of him. “I am happily, blissfully kept, and I don't care who knows it, babe. I've been ready to tell the whole world you're it for me for a long time.”

She kisses him quick and sound before she scrambles off of him and reaches for her phone at the bedside table. “Good. I'll start with Ev. That'll take care of almost everyone.”

“What?”

“What?”

Mike shakes his head. “Uh, Ev definitely knows.”

“She does not,” Ginny replies.

“She absolutely does,” Mike says. “Blip knows.”

“Blip knows?”

“Yeah.”

“How?”

Mike scratches his beard and sits up from his reclined state. “I told him after he figured it out.”

“And you were going to tell me this when?”

“‘Now?”

“Mike.”

“What? He figured it out. And I've never been good at lying to Blip. He's like Columbo.”

“Who's Columbo?”

Mike sighs. “Gin—”

“Doesn't matter,” she interrupts. “If Ev really knows, then I'm going to hurt her because she's been trying to set me up on dates for the past three months.”

“Yeah, that's how long Blip's known.”

“Ooh, those Sanders’ are gonna get it.” Ginny narrows her eyes at Mike and wags a finger. “Don't think this means you're getting off easy.”

Mike smirks and watches as color alights Ginny’s cheeks. “You know what I mean, Lawson.”

“I hope it's something dirty.”

“You're impossible.”

“And you love me.”

Ginny lets out a long sigh. “God, I really do.”

Mike plucks her phone from her hand and tosses to the other side of their big bed. “Mhmm. Call Ev later. Right now, I've got plans for you.”

“Do you?”

“Yep,” he says as he lies back down and brings her body to rest on his. “Big, big plans. With lots and lots of details.”

“I think I can handle that.”

_FIN_

 

 


End file.
